Brief case



Sept. 1927. 1,641,871'

5. SOLOMON BRIEF CASE Filed Oct. 8. 1926 WITNESSES lIjlVENTOR Samuel 5010171071,

Patented $ept. 6, 1927.

* UNITED STATES SAMUEL SOLOMON,- or NEW YORK, iv. Y.

BRIEF oasn.

Application filed October 8, 1926. Serial No. 140,297.

The present invention is concerned with the provision of a brief case, an object of the invention being to provide a device of this character which is inherently reinforced against permanent distortion, and against getting out of shape in the ordinary course of usage.

An object of the invention is to provide a brief case preferably of leather, so reinforced with spring wire, that it will resist permanent distorting strains and will automatically spring back into proper shape after it has been twisted or warped. Preferably the case is reinforced not only at the i 1 front and rear, but also at the exposed edges of the gussets which connect the front and rear.

Preferably also, the reinforcing frame not only prevents distortion of the case, but serves as a buffer to protect the exposed edges of the case from damaging contact while the case is being carried.

More general objects of the invention are to provide a brief case of simple, practical construction which will be rugged, durable and efficient in use, and which lends itself readily to the requirements of economical manufacture. I

With the above noted and other objects in View, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, as will be more fully hereinafter set forth and pointed out in the claims. The invention may be more fully understood from the following description in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a view 31' front elevation of a brief case embodying thepresent invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary detail sectionalview on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective detail showing the manner of embedding one of the reinforcing wires.

The brief case in so far as it is conventionally constructed, includes the usual front portion 10 and rear portion 11 cooperatively' defining a pocket between them. The rear portion 11 may carry the usual flap 12 at its upper end adapted to be folded over the face of the. forward portion 10 and secured by a lock 13. The ordinary handle means 14 and encircling straps 15 ma be used. Ordinarily the side edges and t e bottom edges of the front and rear sections l0 and 11 of the case are connected by a series of gussets 16, these gussets mounting transversely eX-- bead 20 of a welt piece. This bead is formed by bending the intermediate portion of the Welt piece upon itself, the ends of the welt piece projecting and affording overlying strips or tabs 21 which may be sewed, pasted or otherwise secured to the body of the case.

As best seen in Figs. 1- and 2, the welt piece 20 with its embedded spring wire reinforcement 18 has its flaps or overlying portions 21 disposed between the edges of the front section 10 and the gusset 16, the reinforced bead 2O projecting laterally beyond the outer extremities of the gusset and the section 10. The welt piece may be pasted in position and additionally secured by a line of stitching 21. A similar structure is provided at the exposed outer edges of the gussets 16, except that it" will be noted that the partition member 17 in this instance is embraced between the flaps 21 of the welt piece 20, and that the line of stitching 22 passes through the edges vof the gussets, the Welt piece and the flap. Here again, the reinforced bead of the welt piece projects laterally beyond the outer edges of the gussets, and offers an effective bufier to impact.

The reinforcement of the rear section pref- I erably terminates at the point where the rear section joins the flap 12. Preferably the upper edge of the front section is reinforced. Thus, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, the front section is completely encircled by a spring wire frame firmly enclosed within and concealed by the leather welt piece, this frame resisting distorting strains and tending to retain the front section of the brief case in proper shape at all times. .The three-sided frames of the gussets and rear section also have the same effect.

The free edge of the flap may be reinforced as at 23 with a similar welt-enclosed wirereinforcing member.

Thus, the entire case is rendered more sturdy, rugged, and durable in use, less apt to get out of shape, and less subject to injury by impact of the case edges with other ar ticles.

Obviously in some instances I might reinforce the front and rear sections of the case, or the front and rear sections of the flap without reinforcing the gussets or vice versa. In fact, various changes and alterations might be made in the general form and arrangement of parts described without departing from the invention. Hence I do not wish to limit myself to the details set forth, but shall consider myself at libert to make such changes and alterations as airly fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A brief case including front and rear sections defining a receptacle, a flap on the rear section adapted to be folded'over the upper edge of the front section and means for reinforcing the edges of the sections including welt pieces defining hollow beads and U-shaped spring wire reinforcements in the beads framing the bottom and side edges of the sections, said reinforced beads projecting laterally beyond the edges of the front and rear sections and constituting buffers. r

2. A brief case including front and rear sections defining a receptacle, a flap on the rear section adapted to be folded over the upper edge of the front section and means for reinforcing the ed es of the sections including welt pieces efining hollow beads.

earner and spring wire reinforcements in the beads, said wires comprising a distortion-resisting, form-retaining bufling frame around the front section.

A. device as described in claim 1, and wherein the wires are cemented within the beads.

at. A brief case including front and rear sections, gussets connecting the side edges and the bottom edges of the front and rear sections, and means for reinforcing the outermost portions of the gussets, comprising welt covered spring wire reinforcements.

5. A brief case including front and rear sections, and a flap hinged to the rear section and adapted to fold over the front section, U-shaped resilient frame members protecting the bottom and side edges of the front and rear sections, hollow welt pieces projecting outwardly from the bottom and side edges of the sections said welt pieces housing the U-shaped reinforcing members and retaining the latter against longitudinal movement.

6. A brief case including front and rear sections, gussets connecting them and a flap carried by the rear section folding over the front section, strips of material longitudinally folded to define hollow Welt pieces, lines of stitching securing the edges of the welt pieces and the gussets to the front and rear sections, the hollow intermediate portions of the welt pieces projecting later ally from said sections and reinforcing :wire in the welt pieces, whereby the edges of the front and rear sections are protected from damaging contact when the brief case is dropped or knocked against other articles sL SOLOMON. 

